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Arnmod mysteries
The Arnmod mysteries are a compilation of tales about the mysterious events surrounding the twin brothers George and Robert Arnmod. The two brothers were found on May 16 1878 by early settlers exploring the coast of Kings with absolutely no evidence of where they had come from. One of them, Robert, drowned at a relatively young age when sailing around the Lovian isles. George disappeared from his bed one night at the age of 73. There are many theories that attempt to account for the mysterious appearance and death/disappearance of the two brothers. Mysteries and tales The only thing more or less certain in the series of events is the discovery of the two Arnmods. They were found in 1878 by a crew of settlers that was exploring the coastal regions of Kings. No-one knew where they came from or how long they had been on the deck of the ship. It was originally assumed that they were 'natives' but as no others were ever found, this theory became less popular. The children had European features, but with one distinguishing characteristic; they had six fingers on each hand. Of course this deformity only contributed to the tales and hysteria surrounding the two boys. They grew up together in a cottage just outside Noble City as 'normal' boys, having been adopted by Founding Father Lisa Miller. It is claimed that all their lives they were adventurers; they were the first to climb the rock which is named after them, and raced each other around the Lovian Archipelago. In that race Robert was killed and George became the first to complete the voyage successfully. They both died mysteriously; Robert drowned in the boat race mentioned above and George disappeared mysteriously from his bed at the age of 73. The fact that the bodies where never found contributed to the mystery surrounding the events. A lot of Lovians claim(ed) that they had paid 'two little boys with six digits to do little jobs around the house' during their lives. There were even more such claims after the Arnmods had died/disappeared, and the legends began to appear. Most stories show a lot of resemblance and over time the Arnmod brothers became an urban legend. Nowadays, the controversy has resurfaced due to a debate between revisionists who claim the boys never existed and the supposed descendants of the Arnmods. Name A popular story exists to account for the unusual surname of Arnmod. Apparently Robert Arnmod was found as a baby with a small wooden pendant in the shape of an eagle round his neck. Founding Father Ole Nielsen, a Neopaganist and Norse scholar, was fascinated by the unique patterns and after much study claimed they were messengers from the gods to signal a great event. He gave them the name Arnmod, signifying 'spirit of the eagle' in Old Norse. Lisa Miller later donated the pendant to a Lovian museum after Robert's death. It is said that on the day George disappeared, the pendant also vanished from its securely locked case in the museum. The reason for this has never been explained, but most historians believe it was lost by curators several years later when the museum moved its premises, who invented the story to cover up the loss of an important historical artefact. Overview of popular explanations Initial theories The initial theory said that the Arnmods were children of native Lovians who abandoned their two young children on the boat's deck for some reason. The problem with this theory is that no evidence for a native population exists. Some suggest that the native civilization could have been wiped out by disease or slaughtered by the Founding Fathers. Others point to the Arnmods' European features and suggest the early Lovians could easily have mingled with the settlers, but the theory has lost most if not all support. Sometimes an alternative version is put forth; according to proponents of this theory, they were the children of a shipwrecked couple or that they come from an autonomous expedition. There is however no physical evidence or reliable record from the early administration to back this theory. Another theory which was initially successful but lost credibility over the years is that the Arnmods were in fact angels sent to safeguard the Lovian settlers during its early years. This theory had little support due to the fact most Lovians are irreligious but a lot of farmers got swept away in the hysteria surrounding the brothers. The main base for this theory is the belief that angels have deformities when they appear in a human shape, most often extra fingers. Followers of this theory claim it to be the only 'rational' explanation for the disappearance but without much success. Later theories After the initial commotion more logical solutions were sought and found. There are different versions but they all suggest that the two Arnmod children could have been abandoned by a couple of settlers. The couple might have been too old or too poor to care for the twins. Others suggest that the mother had died in birth or didn't want the children because she was a victim of rape. Both birth fever and crime rates climbed significantly during those years. Some point out that the fact they had six fingers might have turned their parents against them. This is the most likely theory because the exclusion of deformed or retarded people was very common at that time, especially in the more rural areas. Also, child death was very high so the parents could easily have gotten away with the 'loss' of their children. In the year the children were found at least eight couples officially lost their newborn twin boys at birth. These theories make use of data and administrative documents from the years surrounding the finding of the brothers. Most people nowadays believe in the story of abandonment. The death of both brothers is being regarded as 'suspicious but miraculous' since Robert never sailed too cautiously and George is believed to have suffered from Alzheimer. All the stories of the ghost-boys appearing to do little jobs are swept aside as mass hysteria and folklore, which were gradually absorbed into the legend. Another version of the theory proposes that the two boys were illegitimate children of Lisa Miller, their guardian, who created the (frankly unlikely) 'abandonment by native Lovians' theory to avoid stigmatism as a single mother. Renewed controversy More recently the controversy on the Arnmod mysteries was renewed by historian George Bradly-Lashawn. Bradly-Lashawn is a known revisionist on many cases, and true to his reputation, he has suggested that the Arnmods never really existed. He claims that the lack of remains does not suggest a mysterious disappearance, but in fact implies that the two brothers are just a myth. He also comments that written evidence for their existence is 'meager' and claims the photos are fakes. He points especially to the photo of Arnmod's memorial, stating it is ridiculous to suggest Arnmod took a picture of his own gravestone and that it is 'the stuff of pure legend'. This theory is gaining favor due to Bradly-Lashawn's eminence as a historian, but is fiercely fought against by other Lovians, especially Arnmod's supposed descendants. Adversaries point at the poorly organized administration of that time which had numerous flaws that could explain the lack of official records. A popular method to counter the revisionist theory is to point out the fact that it is impossible to prove the concrete existence for about eighty percent of the people who lived at that time. Nonetheless those people did exist (in the non-concrete sense) as is shown by economic records. Due to public interest in the origins of the Arnmods, Semyon Breyev is planning to write a book about the controversy; it will be called How a legend evolved: the truth about the Arnmods. See also * George Arnmod * Rock of Arnmod Category:Folklore